Interested groups can now offer their services as Google Street View mappers

For some time now Google has been using a 360-degree view backpack-mounted camera system to map popular locations on foot, and it is now ready to open up the program to third-parties. Google wants to map the whole world, and it means the whole world. From the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean, there are so many places that just can't be mapped by traditional Google Street View cars, nor can satellite imagery do them justice.

Google's new "Street View Trekker" program is hoping to increase the number of interesting places it has high-resolution mapping data on by letting interested groups get suited up and explore the world. Groups such as tourism boards, non-profits, governments, universities and research organizations can apply with Google to take the Street View Trekker backpacks out on their own, growing Google's database of street view imagery.

If you have a group that is interested in mapping places on foot for Google, you can apply with a simple form from the Google Maps Blog at the source link below.